Marco Island, Ft. Myers & Boca Grande

Backcountry Fishing saves the day for Offshore Plans. Gusty winds have kept most of the anglers that I know off balance. High winds make the water get muddy off Marco Island and the winds don’t help any when you are trying to hunt tailing redfish in Pine Island Sound. That doesn’t mean that your fishing trip is going to be a bust just because the winds are gusting a 20 miles per hour. It just means that you have fewer options to choose from. The backcountry has been providing constant action when the weather has been tough. The few days that it has been calm has produced good action on the flats and offshore. A couple of days I got on the outside early last week before the winds kicked up on Monday. I fished with a buddy of mine and we decided to hit a couple of near-shore wrecks and see if any tarpon were hanging around on them. The tarpon didn’t show but the kings did. We boated about 30 kingfish in just over two hours. Too bad the kings weren’t smokers. Most of them were under the 24- inch limit. Other species that we encountered were 30lb barracudas and spinner sharks that I estimate were in the 150-pound class. On the flats south of Cape Romano the redfish have taken a break. The word is out about a few of the good holes and when the winds were calm last weekend the boats were all over them. After that the winds kicked up and I haven’t fished them since. There is still a good bite of redfish around the outer island of the 10,000 Islands. Charlotte Harbor has also been producing a few redfish on the bars just north of Pirate Harbor Channel. Jigs and top water lures are producing the good results. On the windy days we have been hiding in the backcountry and throwing jigs tipped with shrimp and small sardines fished under popping corks. This method of fishing produces very good numbers of fish, but usually gets more small fish that trophy sized ones. We have been catching hoards of jacks under 5-pounds and lots of ladyfish and snapper. On good days we have been adding a dozen or so small snook and a redfish and flounder or two. The low falling tides are the best. Try to find deep holes that concentrate the fish. The weekend outlook is good because the winds are decreasing and the temperatures will be mild. Remember that this is the last weekend to keep trout for 2000. Good Luck! Capt. Scott Hughes Blackwater Charters 863-946-9171